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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Kyle Gracey, kyle@priceofoil.org
Collin Rees, collin@priceofoil.org

New Report: Emissions From Proposed U.S. Fossil Fuel Projects Equivalent to Doubling U.S. Coal Plants if Biden Approves Construction

Over 20 new U.S. oil and gas projects would derail U.N. climate commitments.

WASHINGTON

Increased greenhouse gas emissions under President Joe Biden would be equivalent to more than doubling existing emissions from U.S. coal-powered plants -- a 17% increase compared to 2019 levels -- if the United States moves ahead with 21 major fossil fuel infrastructure projects that are pending review by the Biden Administration.

The findings come from a new briefing released today by Oil Change International, which analyzed the projected emissions of new pipelines and new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals that have been proposed by oil and gas companies. The Biden Administration has the authority to stop the proposed projects before they are completed. The projects include two major fossil fuel pipelines and 20 LNG terminals across 17 states and the Gulf of Mexico.

View the full report here: https://priceofoil.org/biden-GHG-emissions-briefing

The report comes as President Biden prepares for the upcoming international climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland next month, and during the People vs. Fossil Fuels week of action in Washington, DC, where thousands of protestors are urging Biden to stop fossil fuel projects. While the U.S. rejoined the Paris Agreement under the Biden Administration, the construction of new pipelines and LNG export terminals to liquefy and ship gas overseas would lock the United States into continued fossil fuel extraction and likely derail the nation's climate commitments.

"We urge the Biden administration to course-correct," said Kyle Gracey, Research Analyst at Oil Change International. "Other nations are looking closely at the U.S. and President Biden, who will set the tone for how we address this crisis as a global community. Building new fossil fuel infrastructure and increasing U.S. emissions at a time when we must persuade other countries to reduce their use of fossil fuels sends the wrong signal to every nation. As alarming as these projected emissions are, the silver lining is that President Biden has the authority and opportunity to stop these projects."

The latest IPCC report, which declared a "code red for humanity," calls for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, and the International Energy Agency's Net Zero by 2050 analysis suggests that no new oil and gas fields should be extracted. President Biden has pledged to make the United States a leader on climate change, and this new briefing shows clearly that rejecting the dozens of proposed fossil fuel projects is a key part of that transformation.

Click here to read the report: https://priceofoil.org/biden-GHG-emissions-briefing

Oil Change International is a research, communications, and advocacy organization focused on exposing the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitating the ongoing transition to clean energy.

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